Auditorium or hall for buildings.



P. CLEMENT.

AUDITORIUM 0R HALL FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JAILZB, 1913.

1 96,826. Patented May 19, 1914.

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FCLEMENT.

WITNE$SES INVENTOR.

BY 1 z fi4-v Q. ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CBJWASHINGTDN, D. c

P. CLEMENT.

AUDITORIUM OR HALL FOR BUILDINGS, APPLIOATION FILED JAN.28, 1913.

1,096,826. Patented May 19,191 L 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I FCLEMENT. W'TNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY COLUMBIA I'LANOGIIAI'H c0.wAsmNuTuN. D. c.

F. CLEMENT.

AUDITORIUM 0R HALL FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLIOATION rum) JAN.2B,1913.

1 09 2 Patented May 19, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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F. CLEMENT. AUDITORIUM OR HALL FOR BUILDINGS. APPLICATION IILBD JAN.28,101a.

Patented May 19, 1914.

6 4 BHEETB-SHEET 4.

. IIIIIIQ'IIIIIA ""INVENTOR BY J ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANoanAPMCO-WABIHNUTON. D. c.

FRANZ CLEMENT, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

AUDITORIUM OR HALL FOR BUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 19114:.

Application filed January 28, 1913. Serial No. 744,638.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANZ CLEMENT, a subjectof the German Emperor, residing at No. 5e Motzstrasse, Berlin, Germany,have invented a certain new and useful Improved Auditorium or Hall ofBuildings, of which the following is a specification.

It is a well known, although rarely expressed fact that in places ofentertainment, restaurants, cafes, concert-halls, music-halls, bazaarsand the like the attention of the guests is given to a great extent andirequently for the greater part not to the items of the musical,artistic or other prog'ain, but, so far as the arrangement of theparticular hall or the like establishment permit-s, to the guests whoare sitting within the circle of vision and particularly to the toiletsof the ladies.

This invention has now for its object to provide an improvedconstruction of a hall or other establishment suitable for a restaurantor caf, or for the giving of concerts and variety performances, or forthe holding of exhibitions, bazaars and the like, which shall take intoconsideration this tendency of the guests to observe one another.

According to this invention fresh groups of guests will always appearopposite each seat so that the desire of looking at one another is amplysatisfied, whereas at the same time the risk of the mutual inspection assuming the character of staring is safely avoided.

This improvement is effected according to this invention in thefollowing manner: The auditorium or hall for the guests is composed ofseveral superposed tiers, circles or balconies forming closed rings, allor part of which are revolubly mounted on suitable constructed platformsand are adapted to be slowly rotated in different directions by anysuitable mechanical means. The central part of the ground floor whichpreferably is not adapted to revolve serves either simply for theaccommodation of guests or as a stage for musical, comical, artistic andsimilar performances.

The fixed ceilings and rear walls of the different tiers or balconies aswell as the outside surfaces of the balustrades may be decorated withinterchangeable series of pietures showing interconnected events,symbolic representations and the like. During the slow revolution of thetiers, the series of pictures may be inspected by the guests at theirleisure. If a number of towns or cities contain similar establishmentsof this kind, then the picture series may be interchanged between thedifferent towns at certain intervals of time.

\Vhen applying the new arrangement to exhibitions or bazaars the objectsto be exhibited are preferably placed on the platforms surrounding therevoluble rings so that within a certain period of time, which is to besuitably determined, all the objects exhibited on a platform will travelpast each table on the corresponding ring or at least appear to do so tothe guests sitting at the tables.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 1-1 ofFig. 2 of one example of the improved auditorium or hall, Fig. 2 is avertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan of thecentral portion of the ground floor forming a stage which consists oftwo sect-ions and is adapted to be raised, Fig. t is a vertical sectionthrough a revoluble tier or balcony together with the driving mechanism,Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4, the revolublepart being removed, Fig. (3 shows a vertical section through the stagewhich is made in two parts and which is adapted to be raised, and Fig. 7is a plan of the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 without the woodenflooring.

In Fig. 2 the sections through the stationary parts are indicated bysection lining in one direction, whereas the sections through themovable parts are indicated by section lining in the opposite direction.A indicates the revolving tiers or rings, and P indicates the stationaryplatforms on which they are mounted. Both the stationary and revolvingplatforms are provided with seats and tables for guests. The first andsecond tiers of the revolving platforms are made of such a width thatthey can accommodate two rows of tables Z) 7), the back row of tables 7)being arranged at a suitably higher level than the front row. a.comu'umication between the two rows being established by the four stairsc. In the third and fourth tier,

however, only one row' of tables is provided. Two staircases T adjoiningthe superposed stationary platforms give access to the rings A. Thebuffets B are placed between the two staircases in an extension oroutbuilding which likewise adjoins the stationary platforms.

A method of mounting the tiers or rings A on the platforms P is shown inFigs. 4t and 5 as applied to a ring which can accommodate only one. rowof tables. The bearing surface of the platform P which projects freely('5. 6., unsupported) inward over the pillars S, is formed by theradially-extending I-beams z and the two track rails u, u for the rollersets 0, a, 0 which rails are formed from trough-bars and are arranged onthe top of said I-beams 2'. The revoluble ring is formed by radiallyextending I-beam sections j which are rigidly secured to a pair oftrack-rails u, a which are similar to the first mentioned track-railsand the ends of which I-beam sections support rings 6, e of angle-iron.The panels of the lattice work thus formed are further sub-divided by Tbeam sections 0 arranged in the center be tween the two rings 6, e.

The rollers 0 0 have different diameters, the arrangement being suchthat their common surface outlines are situated'on a cone, the center ofwhich is situated in the vertical center-line or axis of the building. For the purpose of keeping the sets of rollers 0, a, 0 permanently thesame distance apart from each other and exactly in a radial position twosleeves m, m are revolubly arranged 011 each axle a near the rollers 0and 0" always between two adjusting rings a, n, a, n. Each inner sleevem is connected to the outer and inner sleeve m, m of the immediatelypreceding sets of rollers and to the inner sleeve m of the nextfollowing set of rollers by means of flat bars f, f and f respectively.

The driving mechanism is constructed as follows in the illustratedexample. A. vertical shaft to extends at two preferably diametricallyopposite points through the superposed pillars S, S. On this shaft thereis arranged beneath the floor level of each platform a wheel memberconsisting of two bevel wheels 70, 1 c and a collar 72. in such a mannerthat it may be moved in an axial direction to a certain extent.

Through the medium of amechanism (not shown) which may substantiallyconsist of, a clip embracing the collar 72., a crank rotatably mountedin a slot in the pillar S and provided with a handle, and of aconnecting rod connecting the inner crank arm to the clip, it ispossible to cause the wheel member is, is, h to adjust itself at threedifferent levels so that in one position the bevel wheel is, inanotherposition the bevel Wheel and in a third position none of the two bevelwheels engages with the bevel wheel 70 mounted on the outer end of theshaft stump w. The gear Wheel a which is likwise mounted on the shaft wgears with a rack a rigidly secured to the lower face of the horizontalflange of the angle-iron ring c. Depending upon the level at which thewheel member 7c, is, h is adjusted the ring A revolves in the one or theother direction or it remains stationary.

Theccntral portion of the ground floor which is preferably not adaptedto revolve forms in the illustrated example a stage C, D made in twosections adapted for vertical adjustment. The I-beam ring 9 on which thelattice-work of the central portion C is mounted is supported by fourspindles s rigidly secured to said ring which spindles may screw in thescrew threaded bores of sprocket wheels 1 suitably mounted in theceiling of the vault or basement so as to be able to rotate said wheels.The ends of the spindles downwardly projecting from. the bores of thewheels are arranged inside the cavities of the pillars supporting thevault roof. The ring shaped part D encircling the central part C of thestage is likewise sup ported by spindles s which are adapted to screw insimilar wheels 1" as the sprindles s.

The wheel systems 1 and rfl" are driven by mutually independent endlesschains t, t which pass over driving wheels g, g which are arranged at asuitable place in the vault, roof or ceiling. Further each of thesechains passes from the inside around that pair of gear wheels r 7' and r1%, respectively which is situated nearest to said driving wheelswhereas the other gear wheels 9, r and 1", 1*" respectively areencircled by said chains from the outside. lVhen adopting thisarrangement for the two chains, the

bores in the four wheels 73, r and r r as well as the spindles adaptedto screw therein must be provided with left hand'threads if the otherwheels and spindles are provided with right-hand threads as these wheelsmust rotate in a direction opposite to that in which the other Wheelsrotate. Covering strips or prevent the chains from dropping off thewheels.

From the outer edges of the parts' c and D of the stage there aresuspended curtains g y which may be replaced by others when said parts Cand D are arranged at different levels and which may be removedaltogether when the two partsof the stage descend to such an extent thatthey are on a level with the ground floor. 7

The rate at which the rings A areto rotate is to be so slow that therotation is scarcely noticed when passing from the stationary platformson to the tiers or rings.

In the illustrated example, for instance the upper (fourth) tier orbalcony maybe stationary, while'the third and second circle are slowlyrotated in a right hand and left hand direction. The first tier orcircle is then preferably allowed to rotate in a right hand direction ata somewhat greater speed than the second circle.

If both the ground floor space and the stage are used as a restaurant,then access is given to the two parts of the stage by removable stairsp, as shown in Fig. 1. If the stage is to be used for artisticperformances of any kind, then access may be had to the same through anopening 12 (shown dotted in Fig. 1) which is preferably arranged in thecenter of the central part C and which may at the same time serve astrap-door, if so desired. To this opening stairs (not shown) lead frombelow. In certain cases this opening may be surrounded by banisters.

What I claim is 1. In an auditorium or the like the combination with astage or the like, of tiers of seats fixed in relation to said stage,tiers of seats horizontally revoluble in relation to said stage and tothe fixed tiers of seats, and means for revolving said revoluble tiersof seats slowly past said fixed tiers of seats, whereby the guests areenabled to inspect one another as well as said stage.

2. In an auditorium or the like, the combination with a stage or thelike, of annular girders forming part of the fixed structure of theauditorium, tiers of seats fixed on said annular girders,radialcantaliverbeams forming part of the fixed structure of the auditorium,and arranged at a certain distance below said annular girders, invertedtrough rails fixed to the undersides of said annular girders, uprighttrough rails fixed to the upper sides of said radial cantaliver beams,rollers arranged to travel between said inverted trough rails and saidupright trough rails and tiers of seats carried by said rollers, wherebythe last mentioned tiers of seats can be caused to revolve slowlyhorizontally in relation to the tiers of seats fixed on said annulargirders and to said stage.

3. In an auditorium or the like, the combination with a stage composedof a pluralit of sections, of fixed tiers of seats fixed in re ation tosaid stage, tiers of seats horizontally'revoluble in relation to saidstage and also to said fixed tiers of seats, vertically movable butnon-rotating screw spindles connected to sections of said stage, nutsfor said screw spindles, revolubly mounted in the ground floor, rings ofteeth on said nuts, and one or more driving chains engaging said ringsof teeth, whereby the stage sections connected to said screw spindlescan be adj usted to any desired levels by operating said driving chainor chains accordingly.

4. In an auditorium or the like, the combination with a stage composedof one or more sections of fixed tiers of seats fixed in relation tosaid stage, tiers of seats horizontally revoluble in relation to saidstage and also to said fixed tiers of seats, a pair of vertieallymovable but non-rotating screw spindles connected to said stage or eachsection of said stage, a nut for each of said screw spindles revolublymounted in the ground floor, a ring of teeth on each of said nuts, and adriving chain, engaging the toothed ring of one nut on the outside, andthe toothed ring of the other nut on the inside, the threads of thescrew spindle and nut belonging to the outside-driven toothed ring ofsaid pair being of opposite hand to the threads of the screw spindlesand nut belonging to the inside driven ring of said pair.

In testimony whereof I arllix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ CLEMENT.- lVitnesses WOLDEMAR I'IAUPT, HENRY HAsrnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G.

